


Better Where You Are

by astronavigatrix



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien salt, Alternate Universe - College/University, Endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Heavy on the Fluff, It starts Adrienette but goes downhill quick, Past Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, i stan Marinette & Kagami's friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29417559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astronavigatrix/pseuds/astronavigatrix
Summary: Marinette, without meaning to, is moving on- but sometimes, she needs a little help.orFive times Marinette's friends send Luka her way and one time she seeks him out herself.
Relationships: Félix Graham de Vanily/Kagami Tsurugi, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 57
Collections: 2021 Exchange





	Better Where You Are

**Author's Note:**

  * For [accidental_genius1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/accidental_genius1/gifts).



> this is... exceedingly late and my only excuse is Life™ but I hope the fact that this beast is gonna wind up at around 7k words total makes up for it.

  
  
It feels like she's always known him, really. Luka Couffaine had been introduced to Marinette and her friends via his younger sister, and while he'd never been a part of their friend group, he'd always been close to their bunch by virtue of Juleka. His levelheaded calm and willingness to get involved in their schemes had always made him a favorite. Especially when it came to trying to 'help' Marinette with Adrien. But when the day came during their last year before university that she no longer needed anyone's help because she'd finally (finally, finally!) gotten the boy, Luka made sure she and her friends knew: he'd always be around.  
  
It was a good thing too, when Marinette and Adrien eventually (inevitably) broke up. Most of them in their little group of girls would say they never saw it coming. At least three of them would be lying. For her part, when called out, Juleka would say that at least she tried to do damage control.  
  
(Which is more, she won't say aloud, than Adrien ever did.)  
  
  


* * *

  
  
A grimace makes its way across Juleka's face as Marinette's shoulders drop. The screen of her phone has gone dark, and Marinette's mood has done the same along with it. The look is fleeting, doesn't last longer than the half-turn it takes her to put her attention back on Juleka. The smile she wears is kind and a bit apologetic, and Juleka smiles awkwardly back, waiting for her to continue pinning the blouse she's fitting the taller brunette for. She thinks she does a pretty good job at pretending she hasn't just overheard her anniversary plans being canceled. Marinette, not for a lack of trying, can't really hide the shift in her mood though, and Juleka feels her own mouth turn downwards as she watches her friend move through the rest of the fitting on autopilot. The silence isn't even broken by Marinette's usual eager chatter about the fabric or the cut of the blouse she's fitting her for. There's only the occasional thoughtful noise, and the slight tremble of Marinette's fingers.  
  
When that causes her to push a pin too far in the wrong direction, making Juleka gasp as the pin penetrates the skin of her upper arm, she takes Marinette's hands and stills them. She knows the other girl wants to keep working, to distract herself from her feelings, but she has no desire to end up as a pincushion. Instead, she suggests they take a break for a late lunch and have Marinette practice the notecards she has to read about each design. The showcase is a winter one, so the colors are of course dark- but Marinette's chosen to either embroider or silkscreen branches on her designs- with fallen leaves or petals half-covered in snow along the hems and sleeves. The blouse Juleka is wearing has to be her favorite- a thin dark branch along the shoulders of a navy button-down with a sheer panel from collar to just under her collarbones, a sprinkling of snowflakes scattered across the front like glitter. The hem is trimmed in white like a snowbank, with a single blossom peeking out of the snow.  
  
It's classic Marinette, but there's something about it that Juleka personally thinks seems a little melancholy.  
  
She keeps that thought to herself as she and Marinette order Thai takeout and sit cross-legged on the floor of her bedroom, Marinette going over her speeches with Juleka giving faint-hearted input as she goes. Public speaking has never been her forte, but as she tells Marinette _, she's_ just there to wear the clothes, and she thinks they speak for themselves. But just in case they don't, Marinette had better be sure she can do it for them. It gets her a roll of the eyes and a fond half-smile, and Juleka feels a sense of accomplishment. One that swiftly dims as Marinette keeps looking expectantly at her phone, as if expecting another last-minute change of plans. So when Juleka finally heads home after reviewing some of their shared general coursework, it's with a plan in mind. Now normally, Juleka is the last person to get involved in something like this- but between being exposed to Rose's incurable romanticism and her own brother's well-intentioned busybodying, she supposes she's absorbed a bit of both. So when she gets home, she perhaps more-than-casually mentions to Luka that Marinette had seemed upset about Adrien not being able to make it for their plans, and how it was likely she was going to have to cancel whatever it was she'd put together.  
  
She lets Luka's need to help everyone- but _especially_ Marinette- do the rest.  
  
Because of course Juleka isn't stupid, and her brother isn't subtle (even if Marinette is as dense as that boyfriend of hers sometimes) and it's not like she wants to break them up but… letting Luka help Marinette out is harmless enough, in her opinion. Besides, it makes Luka happy to make Marinette happy, and the way she sees it, being able to put both her brother and one of her best friends in a good mood is a win/win. Luka is in the living room texting Marinette by the time Juleka decides to retire to her room, but judging by the slight frown on his face, Marinette's being a tougher nut to crack than usual. She has faith in him though, and when she wakes up late the next morning to find him gone and breakfast under a sheet of foil on the counter, she's glad to see that she was right.  
  
When Luka returns later that evening with leftovers from dinner (which apparently they'd taken to go) and a million-euro grin, she considers her plan a success.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Exams are always stressful, but Nino hasn't seen Marinette this worked up over them in _years_. Sure, she could be a bit scattered and clumsy, but if nothing else, Marinette's masterful organization skills had always made sure their little group was prepared. Watching her try and organize notes as it gets closer and closer to when the others are due to arrive for their study session however, Nino can't help but frown. Gently, he pulls her hand away from the notecard she's scribbling across, placing both hands on her shoulders and making her straighten in her seat to take a few deep breaths with him. Only when Marinette's death grip on her pen loosens does Nino drop his hands from her shoulders, tilting down to look into her face.  
  
"Better?"  
  
"Not really," Marinette replies, honest as ever when asked directly, and Nino's mouth twists in a grimace.  
  
"Wanna tell me what's up? We've still got…" He checks his watch, considering. "A good fifteen- nah, twenty minutes before anyone _actually_ shows up."  
  
Marinette opens her mouth to correct him, but she knows their friends just as well as he does, and so instead heaves a weary sigh and hangs her head heavily.  
  
"It's just.…We've got midterms coming up, and I _told_ Adrien I was swamped as it is with classes and making sure I get the materials for my projects, and planning the models, scheduling runway times… But even knowing that, he told his dad- no, he _promised_ his dad- that I'd be able to help him with some of the finishing details on some pieces for the summer _Gabriel_ show, but I just… I just don't have the _time_ -!" Marinette's hands come up in a faint gesture of frustration, and Nino winces slightly. What comes next, however, makes him tighten his grip on the wire of the headphone he'd been fiddling with, eyes narrowing. "And when I tried to explain that to him, he just… he said I was going to make _him_ look like a liar! That I wasn't even willing to _try_ and do this for him! Like I didn't already tell him how _full_ my schedule is half a dozen times!"  
  
Nino presses his lips together slightly, but puts his chin in his hand, thoughtful. He knows Marinette is more frustrated than angry, but the same can't be said for him. He loves Adrien, he does, but the fact that his being able to take a year off to 'make a decision' on what he wants to study doesn't seem to strike him as a luxury only he can afford can get... aggravating. It's as if he thinks that if Marinette flunks out, she can just magically afford to re-do whatever course she fails. Marinette won't take any money either Adrien or his father offer either- not that the older man would, but Adrien might try, if he felt guilty enough- but she's already there on scholarship. Her parents can afford a lot, but fronting her anywhere from an extra semester to an extra year of college isn't one of them.  
  
"Alright Marinette, here's what we're gonna do," he begins, and Marinette perks as if Nino is about to tell her the meaning of life. "We're gonna cancel tonight- reschedule for later in the week, but I'll figure it out so you don't have to worry, alright?" He says, so she can't even begin to think about that. Marinette's stare becomes slightly incredulous, and Nino spreads his arms, pretending hurt. "What? You don't think I can manage?"  
  
"No-!" Marinette squeaks out instantly, flushing, "no…! I just… that's a lot of trouble to go through, Nino…"  
  
"Ain't no thing, dudette- it's the least I can do when you're doing so much to help the rest of us keep our heads on straight. Now, while I do that, you're gonna go put that stuff away and get changed, and grab a couple of tickets to a movie starting in the next forty-five minutes. I'm gonna go drop my stuff off at my place and meet ya there, got it?"  
  
"A movie? _Now_? But I should be working on-!"  
  
"Mari, c'mon. You and I both know if you try and work with as tense as you are, you're just gonna spin your wheels and get nowhere and get _more_ stressed." He reaches out, tapping her forehead with two fingers, while pulling his phone out with his other hand and beginning to text. "Gotta give the ol' noggin' a chance to rest. And nothin' does that better than a mindless flick and then a nice walk around with some ice cream, yeah?"  
  
Marinette's frown only seems to increase for a second before the creases smooth out, and another sigh leaves her, this one defeated.  
  
"...yeah," she agrees, and Nino grins, finishing the first and most important of his texts with a quick ruffle to her hair. He picks up his bag with one hand, still texting with the other, and gives Marinette a little bob of his chin.  
  
"See ya soon, Mari."  
  
Marinette smiles wanly, shaking her head, and turns to head upstairs to her room, looking for something comfortable to wear. Once he gets his first answer, Nino waits until he gets his first 'where are you?' message from Marinette, before he cues Luka in to take his place. As much as he'd love to help Marinette, he's too close to Adrien to be much help- and if he's honest with himself, the way he'd felt when he saw how stressed Adrien's 'promise' had made Marinette had made him worry about what might happen to his friendship with the model if Marinette ended up venting. When Marinette texts him a frowning emoji a few minutes later, followed by an 'I'll deal with you later' he can only smile. If she were really angry, she wouldn't have given him any warning at all.   
  
He really hopes Luka can help her work out what to do.  
  
What he doesn't expect is the text from Adrien two days later, asking him why he's setting his girlfriend up on dates. Apparently, the tabloids had been going wild since that night, and it wasn't looking good for Adrien that his girlfriends was out with another guy. Nino stares at the message, disbelieving, and only barely resists the urge to reply with 'I'm not, but why are you promising your dad and his multi-billion euro design team time your girlfriend doesn't have?' Instead he reminds Adrien that the tabloids would've said the same if it were _him_ and Marinette instead of Luka, and the lack of messages he receives in reply is telling. It's not like Nino doesn't know how Luka feels, of course. But out of all of Marinette's friends, he's the only one that can be trusted to one-hundred percent know how to get her out of her own head.  
  
The fact that everyone but Adrien seems to realize how much Marinette needs that sometimes is a little worrying.

**Author's Note:**

> proper lukanette content starts next chapter, believe me


End file.
